1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to articles created using blends of polymers and other ingredients, and to a process for preparing the same. The articles serve as a hydrogel for applying various substances to a substrate. The substance can be a personal care compound, a biologically active compound, an active ingredient, an absorptive material, etc. The substrates can be living organisms, or inanimate objects.
2. BACKGROUND ART
The earliest cataplasms were probably called poultices. A poultice is a medicated mass (often clay, herbal component, and a carrier such as water) spread on cloth and applied to the skin, often for sores or other lesions. Later, various gels and viscosity modifiers were added to cataplasms. Typically and preferably, a cataplasm has direct contact with skin or the substrate to be treated. As prepared commercially in a multiple cataplasm package, a cataplasm often has a backing on one side, which provides physical strength and a durable exposed surface during use on the substrate, and a release layer on the other side, which is removed before application to the substrate.
Transdermal delivery systems have been developed for various pharmaceutical applications. They generally transfer a medicine through the skin rather than to the skin. The active ingredients in commercial transdermal delivery systems are usually limited to a single chemical compound or a family of compounds. These systems are typically more expensive than oral medication and comprise an impermeable backing layer, a reservoir, a metering layer, and an adhesive layer. The system is usually protected by a release layer.